ቁሳቁስ መሶብ
አማርኛ

Ethiopian handcraft

መሶብMesob

How is a mesob made? From the tray to the lid.

A step-by-step look at how the woven basket table at the centre of every shared meal is coiled, shaped and patterned by hand.

See the stepsWhat is a mesob?

What is a mesob?መሶብ ምንድን ነው?

A mesob is a traditional lidded grass table that injera is served on.

A mesob is a tall woven basket that works as a small dining table. Injera is laid on its flat top, and family and guests gather around to eat from it together. A cone-shaped lid covers the food until it is served.

It is made with the same coiling technique as the sefed, but the coil does not stay flat: it is shaped up and down into a tray, a narrow waist, a wide foot and a separate lid.

The parts of a mesob

ክፍሎች

One continuous coil of grass forms every part, from the tip of the lid to the bottom of the foot.

A mesob of natural grass on a woven floor mat: a wide flared foot with a band of purple and gold triangles, a narrow waist, a shallow tray with a dark red rim and injera on it, and a tall cone-shaped lid with bands of red, black and green triangles, topped by a pointed knob. The lid and the knob lift off. It stands 788 mm with the lid on. Point at the figure, or at a part in the list, to see that part. The arrow keys step through the parts, Space takes it apart or puts it together, and Escape puts it back.

  1. The pointed tip of the lid, where the coil begins. It doubles as a handle for lifting the lid.

  2. A tall cone that covers the food and carries most of the dyed patterns.

  3. The flat, round top where the injera is laid. Its rim is sized so the lid sits snugly on it.

  4. The narrow middle that lifts the tray to the height of people seated around it.

  5. A wide, flared base that keeps the whole basket steady on the floor.

How a mesob is made, step by step

አሠራር

Watch it take shape, from a bundle of dyed grass to a finished, lidded basket.

  1. ፩Step 1

    Prepare and dye the grass

    ሣሩን ማዘጋጀትና ማቅለም

    Grass is gathered and dried. Far more of it is dyed than for a sefed, in bright reds, greens, purples, yellows and black.

  2. ፪Step 2

    Coil the tray

    ገበታውን መሥራት

    Starting from a tiny knot at the centre, the coil is stitched round and round into a flat tray, just like a sefed.

  3. ፫Step 3

    Shape the waist

    ወገቡን መቅረጽ

    The coil now turns downward under the tray. Each round is pulled a little tighter, narrowing into the waist.

  4. ፬Step 4

    Flare the foot

    እግሩን መሥራት

    Below the waist, the rounds are let out wider and wider until the base is broad enough to stand firmly.

  5. ፭Step 5

    Make the lid

    ክዳኑን መሥራት

    The lid is coiled separately, starting from the pointed knob and widening into a cone until its rim matches the tray.

  6. ፮Step 6

    Weave in the patterns

    ጌጡን መሥራት

    As the rounds go on, dyed strands are swapped in to build bands of triangles, zigzags and diamonds around the lid and foot.

  7. ፯Step 7

    Fit and finish

    ማጠናቀቅ

    The rims are wrapped tightly so they will not fray, and the lid is checked for a snug fit on the tray. The mesob is ready for the table.

Where you'll find a mesob

አገልግሎት

  • Eating together

    በጋራ መመገብ

    Injera and stews are laid on the tray, and everyone eats from it together, often feeding each other a ጉርሻ (gursha).

  • Keeping injera

    እንጀራ ማስቀመጫ

    Between meals, the closed lid keeps injera covered and fresh.

  • A gift and an heirloom

    ስጦታና ቅርስ

    Mesobs are given at weddings and passed down in families, and decorative ones are kept on display.

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